DataBank Indicator

Child Support Receipt

Among custodial parents with a child support award, the percentage who received full payment of all support owed them in the previous year increased from 37 percent in 1994, to 46 percent in 2013.

Importance

In 2013, more than one-quarter of all children under age 21 living in families had a parent who was not living in the home.[1] Most often, it is the biological mother who has custody of the children.[2] These families have a higher likelihood of living in poverty, and child support payments can make an important contribution to their total income.[3],[4]

State and federal policy changes have strengthened child support enforcement in recent years. One of the effects of strong child support enforcement can be to make it more likely that young mothers exit and stay off welfare.[5] However, full payment by non-custodial fathers is complicated by the fact that a third of them live in poverty.[6] In 2010, almost a quarter (24 percent) of child support payments were made through wage withholding, and only 22 percent were paid directly to the custodial parent.[7] More than 40 percent of non-custodial fathers are responsible for making payments for more than one child, increasing their financial burden.[8] Some analysts have identified states’ policies of retaining payments due to children of TANF (welfare) recipients as a disincentive to payment of child support.[9]

Research finds that fathers who pay child support are more likely to spend time with their children.[10] Fathers who have child support debt also have less contact with their children.[11] It is not clear, however, whether monetary contributions encourage fathers to develop an emotional connection with their children, or whether involved fathers are more likely to pay child support. In any case, some have argued that policies to strengthen child support enforcement should not be structured in a way that discourages the involvement of low-income fathers with their children.[12]

In 2016, the Administration for Children and Families announced a new rule that requires states to consider the specific circumstances of low-income noncustodial parents when setting child support orders.[13] The goal is to increase the likelihood of payments by ensuring that obligations are based on accurate information and the noncustodial parent’s ability to pay.

Trends

Among custodial parents with a child support award, the percentage who received full payment of all support owed them in the previous year increased from 37 percent in 1994 to 47 percent in 2005 and 2007, before falling to 41 percent in 2009. The proportion rose again to 46 percent in 2013. The share who received partial payment declined during the 1990s, from 40 to 30 percent, but has remained steady over the last decade, and was 29 percent in 2013. (Figure 1) The percentage of custodial parents who were owed support but received no payment remained relatively stable between 1994 and 2007, ranging from 24 to 26 percent, with a significant rise to 29 percent in 2009, falling back to 26 percent in 2013. (Appendix 1)

Between 1994 and 2003 the percentage of custodial parents who had a support award increased slightly, from 57 to 60 percent. Since then, the proportion has decreased, and was 49 percent in 2013. (Appendix 1)

Differences by Marital Status

Most custodial parents who have been married were granted custodial orders from divorce agreements.[14] Custodial parents who have ever been married are substantially more likely than custodial parents who have never married to receive the full child support payment owed to them. In 2013, 34 percent of never-married custodial parents reported that they received full child support payments in the previous year, compared with 51 percent of ever-married custodial parents. (Appendix 2)

Differences by Educational Attainment

Custodial parents with at least a college degree are more likely than those without a high school diploma to receive the full amount of child support payments awarded to them. In 2013, among parents who were due child support payments in the past year, only 30 percent of custodial parents with less than a high school degree reported that they received their full child support awards in the previous year, followed by 35 percent of those with a high school diploma only, 48 percent of those with some college or an associate’s degree, and 62 percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or more. (Figure 2)

Differences by Age

The percentage of custodial parents who receive full child support payments varies considerably by age. In 2013, 30 percent of the custodial parents ages 18 to 29 who were supposed to receive child support payments in the previous year received full payments, compared with 40 percent of those 30 to 39 years old, and 59 percent of those 40 years and over. (Figure 3)

Differences by Gender of Custodial Parent

In 2013, 41 percent of custodial fathers had been awarded full child support, compared with 46 percent of custodial mothers. (Appendix 1)

Differences by Poverty Status of Custodial Parent

Especially for families with incomes below the federal poverty line, child support payments represent an important component of their income. In 2013, for all families who received child support, the average amount was $5,333—about 14 percent of their average yearly income ($37,367). However, for families living below the poverty line, the average annual amount received was $4,396—about 49 percent of average income ($8,927) for these custodial parents. [15]

Non-cash Payments

The majority of custodial parents also receive non-cash payments from absent parents. In 2013, 62 percent reported that their child’s absent parent provided some form of non-cash payment in the prior year. Also, 26 percent of all custodial parents reported that their child’s absent parent provided health insurance in the prior year. (Appendix 1)

International Estimates

None available.

National Goals

None.

What Works to Make Progress on the Indicator

The Self-Sufficiency Research Clearinghouse, sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, of the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, offers research related to improving incentives for child support payment and barriers to payment.

Related Indicators

Definition

Data are based on parents who live with their own children under age 21, without the child’s other parent living with the family. Child support income reflects payments that custodial parents received during the previous calendar year, as well as other types of support. Children who might be eligible for child support, but are living with neither biological parent, are not included.